


For Warmth of Heart

by Toppbanana



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Cold, Dreams, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Reunion, Romance, Rose & Donna friendship, Secret Santa, Smut, Snow, Tenth Doctor & Donna friendship, season 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2016-03-05
Packaged: 2018-05-09 04:37:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5525636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toppbanana/pseuds/Toppbanana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was dreaming, that much was clear. He was aware that his body was in a bed, could feel the rasp of sheets against his neck and the plush pillow beneath his head, but his mind was a whole other universe away. That was the only rational explanation for what he was hearing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> A dwsecretsanta gift for misstardisblue! She asked for a Ten/Rose reunion fic with Donna! (I also managed to sneak in a little stranded without the Tardis too!) Terrible sorry for making you wait all this time, but I hope you enjoy it! Unbeta’d.

He didn’t really want to celebrate Christmas. He wasn’t always a bit of a Scrooge, but Christmas was a time to spend with family those you lo…Well, he didn’t really have that anymore, so Christmas wasn’t really high on his list of things to partake in. Donna, on the other hand, whole-heartedly disagreed with this logic. She told him that he still had friends and suggested they could spend the holiday with her family. At the put out look that crossed his face, she insisted that what he needed was a little bit of Christmas cheer in his life. She even went as far as suggesting it was a time for miracles. But before he could protest further, the TARDIS seemed to have taken matters into her own hands and landed. Looking at the screen to see where they were, it appeared they had landed near a small Christmas village. Apparently his ship agreed with Donna. The Doctor groaned inwardly.

Donna threw on her fur-lined coat and informed him that she was going to go check out some of the shops and he was welcome to join her if he wanted. The Doctor mumbled something half-heartedly about needed to do some tinkering on his conspiring ship. With an exasperated shrug, Donna slipped out the door leaving a flurry of snowflakes behind her.

That was six hours ago.

The village really wasn’t that far or that big, so Donna should have been back ages ago. The Doctor went to one of the screens on the console and tried to pull up an outside image, but he was met with nothing but white. He tried to pinpoint her location and bring the TARDIS to her, but the TARDIS refused to budge.

“She could be in trouble,” the Doctor growled to his ship. He was only met with a mental nudge telling him to go out and find her himself.

The minute he stepped outside, he was swallowed by a sea white. Not good.

“Donna?” the Doctor called out. His own voice echoing back was his only reply. “Donna!” Not good at all.

Without looking where he was going, he trudged through the knee-deep snow to see if there was any trace of his companion. Between the wind and the blanket that swirled in every direction, there was nothing left of her; not even a footprint.

The Doctor needed a plan. The temperature was dropping and the storm didn’t seem like it would let up any time soon. Even he was feeling the sting of the bitter cold nip at his exposed skin, he couldn’t imagine how Donna was fairing. However, when he turned back towards the TARDIS, it was nowhere in sight. He spun around until his vision swam with dizziness. How was this even possible? Despite the light-headed feeling not abating, he picked a direction at random hoping his time-senses could guide him, and attempted to retrace his steps, but found he didn’t even know where to begin. Every direction looked exactly the same, felt exactly the same: white. White like an empty canvas, white like the vast expanse of nothingness, white that damned wall…

Something was wrong he could feel it. Actually, it was the lack of feeling that was the problem. The usual hum of the TARDIS that comforted him in the back of his mind was missing. It wasn’t quite like the loss he felt after losing her on Krop Tor, it just wasn’t there. It was as if his head was empty. He took a quick internal check for any poisons that may be dampening his telepathic abilities and found nothing out of the ordinary. If there were no chemicals within him that were creating an adverse reaction, it must be an external force. Focusing all of his remaining strength on figuring out what was altering his mind, the Doctor felt a faint of prickle of time crackling beneath his skin. Letting the sensation guide him, he moved further into the storm.

The icy wind whipped at his face, snowflakes felt more like needles flicking against his skin. He knew he needed to find Donna, the TARDIS, or at the very least, some sort of shelter, but he found he was entranced by the time anomaly. It whispered and called to him, beckoning him like a siren’s song. He didn’t even register the ground beneath his feet splintering until it was too late.

Icy water surrounded him as he plunged into a concealed lake. The wetness felt more like lava, burning him inside and out, pulling him deeper into its blackened depths.

But then he heard his name, like a melodic whisper echoing in his mind. It was so quiet and so soft he thought he must have imagined it. And then he heard it again, this time it was coupled with the earlier sensations of time. It seemed to give him the strength to break through the water and back onto land. With great effort, the Doctor slowly pulled himself through the snow until he managed to find refuge in a small inlet of trees until he could regain his strength.

Cold and sleepy.

No.

Freezing and tired, that’s what he was, and even despite his superior biology, there was no other way to describe how he felt. His suit was stiff with ice, much like his hair and lashes, making it difficult to do anything beyond lay there and let the snow build up on his prone form. He’s eyes were heavy with exhaustion and burned from the cold. He knew it was a bad idea, but maybe if he just closed his eyes he would feel better, just for a minute…

“Doctor?”

Sleeping while one was slowly freezing to death should be avoided for a number of reasons: the first being that you may never wake up; the second, and quite possibly more important, you may start to hallucinate. No matter how numb the body becomes, the pain of hearing the voice of someone that will forever be lost will pierce the very fabric of your soul like hot knives.

“Oh my god, Doctor!”

Will every last ounce of strength left in his body, the Doctor forced his eyes to open. The fuzzy figure of a familiar ghost swam into view. The sight of her blonde hair whipping violently across the her rosy cheeks almost seemed real this time around, but maybe that was the power of his fading mind.

“Oh, hello again,” the Doctor rasped.

“Doctor, is it really you?” she breathed.

It wasn’t the first time the image of his lost companion appeared to him, taunting him with her kind eyes and encouraging words, but he had a feeling it would probably be the last. He normally tried to ignore her, it only made the memories and regrets hurt more, but perhaps he could give in, just this once.

“Rose Tyler,” he slurred. Her name was a prayer on his dying lips. “Always here to haunt me when I need you most. That’s cruel, that. But if I can’t see the real you one last time…”

“Doctor, what’s happened to you? We have to get you out of here,” the image of Rose said. He could have sworn he heard the crunching of snow beneath her boots as she hurried down next to him.

“Ignore you hasn’t been easy you know,” the Doctor continued, trying to keep his eyes open. He knew his time was short, and he wanted to go with her face burned into his mind before his next regeneration kicked in. “After a bad day, you’re there, using her soft comforting voice. After Daleks invaded Manhattan, you were there, chastising me for being so careless with myself. After the Family, you were there telling me how I needed to kinder to Martha and appreciate her more. When Martha left, you were there telling me not to be alone, to find someone, but I think the toughest was after that diamond planet; I almost gave in then, but I didn’t, because it wouldn’t do me any good. It’s not worth the pain. Rose, my Rose, the real one, is trapped away in a parallel world. As long as she’s safe and happy and living a fantastic life…” he trailed off, his eyes drooping.

“Doctor, look at me,” Rose said, he voice laced with something that actually sounded like genuine panic. “I’m here. It’s really me. I came back!”

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live…” he quoted hoarsely.

“I’m not a dream Doctor, I’m really here, look,” Rose raised a hand and gently cupped his cheek, her eyes widening slightly as she did so. Unlike their final moments on the beach, for a brief moment, he actually thought could actually feel the warmth of her touch. Even though it wasn’t real, he wanted to think it was and tried to lean into it, basking in Rose Tyler one last time.

“Rose, wherever you are, I hope you’re happy,” the Doctor said, his voice fading even in his own ears.

“No, no, you don’t get to do this,” Rose said cried out. “I came back for you, you don’t get to die! You’re going to be fine, I promise. We just gave to get you back to the TARDIS. Come on,” she started to pull of her jacket and moved to wrap it around him.

“Rose, please, just listen,” he rasped. Looking up, he saw her cheeks shone with fresh tears. He wanted nothing more than to just hold her and kiss away every one of her tears, but he couldn’t do that. No touch… But the very least he could do was say the words he had been wanting to say, but never had the courage to, words he ran out of time to say.

He felt his eyes slipping shut. “Rose Tyler, I love-“

“Shh,” she murmured, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into her body. “You can tell me when you’re safe.”

His last conscious thought, was the feeling of warm lips pressing to his forehead.

***

The Doctor was warm, too warm. He tried to open his eyes, but found it took far too much effort. His head was fuzzy and the senses he did still have at his disposal were all a bit distorted. His mouth was dry and tasted like he had been sucking on a Slitheen’s old sock and his entire body ached. He wasn’t sure how long he had been out for; regeneration comas were a bit tricky. He was still too groggy to take an inventory of what he had become, but the one thing he did know, and took great comfort in, was that the hum of the TARDIS was back and judging by the soothing pulses in his mind, he was actually back on his ship. How he got there, well, he’d figure that out after sleeping for just a little while longer.

Just as he was drifting out of consciousness again, he though he heard voices. Two female voices by the sound of it, and very familiar ones at that, but his mind shut down before he could put the pieces together.

***

He was dreaming, that much was clear. He was aware that his body was in a bed, could feel the rasp of sheets against his neck and the plush pillow beneath his head, but his mind was a whole other universe away. That was the only rational explanation for what he was hearing.

“For the most part it was the same as this one, really. It was more the things you sort of take for granted that had changed. Some of the differences were really noticeable, like the big zeppelins overhead or the fact that Harry Potter had never been written, but then there were others where you sort of had to squint to figure out something was off. You knew something was different, but you couldn’t put your finger on it,” a voice explained in hushed tones. He knew that voice! He would know it anywhere, but he also knew that it was impossible to be hearing it. It couldn’t be her. Not the real her. Not unless he really was dead.

“Oh! Like that little spot the difference games in the newspaper!” a much louder voice chimed in with a laugh. Donna. That was definitely Donna.

The first voice giggled. It was a pretty sound that made the Doctor’s hearts skip a beat. “A bit, yeah! The first time we were there, it was like there was an alternate version to someone who was in this universe. People who had been dead were sill alive, or had switched hair colours, or something.”

“Did you ever find the other version of you?”

“That’s a bit of a funny story,” the Doctor could hear the smile in her voice. “Turns out that my twin was actually a dog!”

“You’re kidding!”

The Doctor didn’t catch the reply. The voices became distance and sounded like he was listening from underwater. The dream ended as quickly as it began, but another one followed on its tail.

“You’re an absolute idiot, you know that right?” he was chastised softly. A soft, damp cloth was pressed to his forehead. “Just because you’re a Time Lord with supposed superior biology, it doesn’t mean you can go wandering into the middle of a snow storm.”

“Has he always been a bit like that, or was it just after he lost you that it escalated? He’s lucky that you found him when you did. How did you manage that anyways?”

“I’m not really sure actually,” the light touch of the speaker’s fingers began brush his hair off his forehead. It was hesitant at first, as if afraid it would hurt him, or perhaps hurt her. “I’ve been trying to find my way back here for years now, but something would always go wrong; I’d land in another universe, or a planet that was in the midst of a civil war or something, and that was even if I managed to get out of the lab first.”

There was a pause. She seemed to be lost in thought, but in doing so, her touch became bolder, and she began to card her fingers though his hair. It felt heavenly!

“The worst was timing though,” she finished.

“Timing?”

“Yeah. After months of guessing and random jumps, we would get a solid signal, and it looked promising, so we would lock on to it. But I would just end up missing him or I could see him but he couldn’t see me,” she added sadly.

“Oh my god! I knew I recognized you! You’re her!”

Her?

_Rose._

No. No, it wasn’t possible. Was it?

The Doctor tried in vain to listen further, but the dream ended again and silence washed over him once more.

It was quite for a bit after that, and he found that he was craving her voice. He wanted to cry out for her to come back and say something, anything. It was a balm to his soul, but then again, she always had that effect on him.

“Doctor,” it was a whispered plea, one that tugged at his hearts.

A feather-light touch traced the swells of his cheeks and contours of his nose. It was nice and warmed him through to the core. “Doctor, if you can hear me, I need you to wake up. Please.”

It was a sound of desperation, and he wanted nothing more than to give in to it. He willed his eyes to open to see the warmth of her smile. The Doctor could hear the thickness of her voice, it got that way when she was fighting back tears, when she was trying to be strong. But Rose was strong, she always had been.

“Doctor, I came back. Please, you have to wake up. I need you to wake up. I need you…” the words were breathed across his lips right before her own lips took their place.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t possibly express how sorry I am for the delay! I won’t bore you with my numerous excuses, but I hope the wait is worth it! Merry Christmas!!! (and is more than two moths after Christmas, however, I looked it up and it’s National Cheese Doodle Day!!!) Also, Hey look! A rating change! Unbeta’d

The Doctor awoke with a start. Opening his eyes, he sat up and took in his surroundings. Even in the low lighting, the rich browns and dark blues told him that he was in his bedroom aboard the TARDIS. Looking around, he also noted that he was alone. With a sad sigh, he flopped back against his pillows. Other than the lingering chill of a cold sweat, there was no lingering trace of regeneration energy, nor did he feel any of the other side effects that tend to come as part of a package deal when your cells completely rewrite themselves.

Maybe it really all had been a dream: getting caught in that snowstorm and nearly freezing to death, Rose coming back and chatting with Donna like they had been friends for years, Rose kissing him… He closed his eyes and brought his fingers to his lips trying to hold on to the last tendrils of his dream. He still felt her fingers tenderly running through his hair as she nursed him back to health, the softness of her lips against his, the touch of wetness that clung to her lashes as they brushed his cheek, the electricity that pulsed through both of them at her touch. It had all felt so real! He was so certain Rose had found her way back to him, had saved him, and now to find out nothing had changed, it felt like losing her to Pete’s World all over again. That hole in his heart that he had roughly stitched over was now a fresh, gaping wound again, leeching poison back into his soul.

The Doctor was so lost in his world of self-pity; he didn’t seem to notice the two empty mugs next to his bed. He scrubbed his hands down his face and willed the sting of tears away.

“Well, well, look whose finally awake.”

The Doctor physically startled. “Donna!”

“How you feeling, Doctor?” Donna asked kindly as she moved from her spot at the door.

He thought about lying, saying that he was right as rain, but he knew she would see right through it. He settled for a shrug instead. Donna made a show of rolling her eyes before smacking his shoulder.

“Oi!” The Doctor protested and rubbed the injured spot. “What was that for?”

“For walking out into a bloody snow storm and nearly getting yourself killed!”

“I only did that to go out and look for you! If you hadn’t been gone for hours-“ his self-defending argument halted. “Hang on, that wasn’t a dream? There really was a storm?”

“Yep,” Donna nodded, plunking herself down in the chair next to his bed and propping her feet up on his bed.

“Did I regenerate? How do I look?” the Doctor’s hands sprang to his hair looking for any changes.

Donna chuckled. “Vanity, thy name is Doctor. You’re still the same skinny strip of nothing, so relax.”

The Doctor dropped his hands and breathed a sigh of relief. So, he really did get caught in that storm, but miraculously, he managed to come out of it virtually unscathed. However, the elation he felt over not changing was short lived.

Where was Rose? Surely she would be here sitting with Donna. They had been chatting around his bed becoming fast friends while he recovered, unless that had only been a fevered dream.

“We’re just surprised as you are about not dying,” he heard Donna say, but her words went in one ear and out the other.

He may not have regenerated from the bitter cold, but his heart freshly breaking may just do it. He knew better than to let _that_ Rose in. His mind could be a dark and twisted old thing. The times he used it to bring down governments, or weasel out of executions, none of it compared to the torture he implemented on himself, and that’s just what he had done by acknowledging what his mind had claimed to be Rose. It wasn’t Rose. It never was and never could be Rose.

“-nearly as frozen as you were, and how she managed to drag you back here herself I’ll never know. Do you have any idea how heavy you are?” Donna spoke again, but by the sounds of it, she took no notice to his inner turmoil. Good. He’d sulk about for a little longer, claim he was still healing, and then they would carry on as if nothing had happened, on to the next adventure and all that…hang on a tick… _She?_

“I can see you’re not really in the mood for talking. Rest up and I’ll bring you some tea in a bit,” Donna sighed. She picked up the empty mugs and a crumb-dusted plate and headed towards the door. “I’m not letting you off the hook though, Spaceman. We need to talk about this whole almost getting yourself killed complex that you have.”

He was about the protest that he doesn’t go looking for trouble, that it always finds him, and even then, that’s just the bits in between, but Donna levelled him with a stern look that he probably shouldn’t argue with, before leaving him with his own thoughts again.

He would have only been half lying; he didn’t always go looking directly for life and death situations, but ever since the loss of his planet, his people, and his love, he had become a bit more…careless with his own wellbeing. Instead of just dipping his toe in, he sort of just plunged headfirst, sometimes literally.

“You scared us half to death, you know,” a quiet voice said.

_She_ (he refused to acknowledge her real name, because it wasn’t the real _her_ ) stood in the doorway to his bedroom dressed in soft sleep shorts and a cozy hoodie. Her hair looked slightly damp and wavy like she had recently showered. It was one of his favourite looks (okay, all of them were his favourite). It brought back memories of the times they would cuddle on the oversized chairs in the library- her bare legs brushing against his fabric covered ones, and his fingers tracing little intricate circles on her ankle bone and calf just to hear her giggles and happy sighs escape her lips. Pain seared through him again. This had to stop. Now.

“You need to leave,” the Doctor hissed. The image of Rose just stared blankly at him. “I don’t know which part of my subconscious you came from, but just go back to your little corner and leave me alone.”

“Doctor-“ the vision started to speak, but he wouldn’t let it.

“No, you don’t get to talk to me. I’ve tried ignoring you, and I’ve tried to reason with you, but I can’t do that anymore. So, now I’m telling you to stop and leave me alone! You’re not my Rose!”

Despite his harsh tone, the blonde figment barely even flinched. Her shoulders merely sagged in defeat.

“It’s me,” She whispered sadly and walked cautiously towards him. She didn’t come within touching distance and kept the chair Donna had vacated between them (a wise decision in his mind). “I’m really here.”

“Why must you insist on torturing me?” He knew he sounded broken, and he was. He had no more fight left in him to resist the temptations of his mind’s design. He closed his eyes and hoped when he opened them she would be gone again. Next to him the bed dipped and gentle hands cradled his face.

“Doctor, look at me,” her voice urged him. She waited until he reluctantly opened his eyes. “I’m really here. I came back.”

The familiar warmth of her skin eased the ache in his chest. For a brief moment, he actually believed her and let himself take comfort in her touch. Against his better judgement, he took solace in her presence.

“Oh, Rose,” he murmured and finally looked her in the eyes for the first time. “I really wish you were here, but it’s just isn’t possible. I tried so hard to find some way back to you, to find some sort of loophole, but it couldn’t be done. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

Even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to touch her, he brought his hand up to cover hers. Instead of touching his own cheek, he came into contact with the impossible. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears and a small smile began to light up her face. He stopped breathing.

“When you’ve stopped being an git for thirty seconds, you’ll notice that Rose here, came back all on her own. None of your silly wormholes needed.”

Donna had returned and was leaning against the doorframe with a knowing smirk.

“Well, I did have quite a bit of help from Mickey and his team at Torchwood. Wouldn’t have made it back here in one piece without them, actually,” Rose added.

The Doctor’s jaw hinged open. “You-you can see her too?” he stammered at Donna.

“See who?” Donna rolled her eyes at his expression, but then grinned widely. “Yes, you daft alien! I can see Rose! She’s actually here!”

The Doctor looked between a smugly beaming Donna, and the smiling woman who was still gripping his hand. He squeezed experimentally. She squeezed back. He repeated with two more squeezes, which she echoed perfectly. Finally, he met her gaze and squeezed three times; each holding a message, words, that he hoped she would one day hear from him. When she didn’t immediately respond, he searched her face for a reaction. Her whiskey eyes shone with emotion that he was sure reflected in his own. He waited for what felt like an eternity for her to do something, to say something. He didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath until Rose shifted. With her her eye never leaving his, she brought her other hand up to hold his free one. With both hands, she answered him with four squeezes.

“Rose,” The Doctor choked back a sob, pulling Rose fully into his arms and burying his nose into her hair. “You’re really here!”

“I’m really here,” Rose wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back in a soothing motion.

The Doctor pulled back slightly to see her face and his eyes drifted to her lips.

“Rose, I just can’t believe it,” he whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I Just…I…” He trailed off in favour of dipping his mouth towards hers.

“Oi! I know you’ve missed each other, but can you wait until I’m actually out of the room before you start shagging?” Donna barked, shielding her eyes with her hands.

Rose and the Doctor sprang apart with sheepish expressions. He had completely forgot that Donna was still there. “We…ah…” The Doctor stuttered. Rose giggled.

“I’m not sure if making little hand babies is foreplay for Time Lords, but just keep it in your pants, until I’m off your ship, okay? I’m going to see Gramps for the night.”

“Hand babies?” the Doctor gaped. “And what do you mean off to Gramps? I though we were still on some snowy planet?”

“Oh, while you were sleeping, Rose piloted the TARDIS. She’s a much better driver than you are by the way,” Donna replied with a nonchalant wave of her hand.

“What?”

“Didn’t even know that we landed.”

“What?”

“She made it look so easy! It looked like she was doing ballet around the console, where you look like your drunk off your arse,” Donna did an interpretation of him handling his ship, and it was rather inaccurate in his opinion. The TARDIS on the other hand, found it to rather amusing. The Doctor scowled up at the ceiling.

“Behave yourselves, and don’t forget to come get me in the morning. Gramps wants you to take a look at his telescope for him, and bring Rose along too. He’s heard enough of you mooning over her, he should probably meet the famous Rose Tyler.”

Time Lords did not blush, but the Doctor couldn’t help the heat that rose rapidly in his face. He groaned in frustration. Thankfully, Donna turned her attention back to Rose.

“I know you’re probably one of the few people that will actually put up with this lump, but if he starts being a wanker again, come get me.”

Rose laughed and saluted sloppily. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Oh, Rose Tyler I like you. Smooth driving, excellent cuppas, and salutes, you’re definitely sticking around!”

With a final wave, Donna slipped out of the Doctor’s bedroom leaving the two of them alone for the first time in years. Well, completely lucid and alone for the first time in years. There was so much to say, but no one knew where to start. Rose, always having more courage than he did, broke the silence first.

“So,” she said awkwardly. “How are you feeling?”

He watched her absentmindedly smooth his covers down while he thought about his answer.

“I can honestly say, I’ve never been better,” the Doctor answered sincerely with a smile.

“Really?”

Truth be told, he was. But he was also bloody terrified. Would she want to continue to travel with him? Would she regret leaving her family behind? Would she ever want to be more? How was she even here at all?

“Yes, I want to keep traveling with you. I am sad to not have Mum and everyone, but they knew what this meant to me, and they…they’re not… no. No I don’t regret leaving. They were all so happy, and I think it’s about time I find my happy ending.”

Oh. Apparently he said that last bit out loud.

“As for how I’m here, that’s a bit of a long,” she hesitated, fumbling for the right words. “And complicated story.”

Taking a deep breath, Rose launched into her time spent in Pete’s World and her travels with what she called a ‘dimension canon’. The Doctor could tell she was deliberately keeping parts vague or leaving them out entirely, but for once he stayed quiet. He understood her reasoning completely. The distant look she got in her eyes before she would get before changing to a different topic was something he knew all too well. Some things were better left as a personal memory and some needed to be shared. In time they may both be ready to share more of their pasts.

As she spoke, warning bells went off in the Doctor’s head. The tales she wove of her journey to return would have taken decades, yet Rose looked as young and as beautiful as they day she was taken from him.

“Rose,” he hedged carefully when she paused to collect her thoughts. “How long has it been since we last saw each other?”

“According to Torchwood, my cells expire at a much slower rate but also replenish themselves quicker than the average human,” her tone was detached and clinical, as if reciting something she’d been told over and over.

“Rose…”

“I’ve buried Pete, Mum, my friends, and then my little brother. All of them lived long and happy lives, and wanted me to do the same. Though of course they hadn’t expected how long that would be for me,” she laughed bitterly.

“Rose, how old are you?” Panic began trickling into his veins again. He knew there was something different in the air, but he just attributed that to Rose crossing through the void, which would have been part of it, but it clearly wasn’t everything.

“202. Give or take a few years. You sort of lose track of these things after a while.”

Rose confirmed his fears. It was his fault that she had to bury her loved ones, and would continue to outlive most people she would ever meet. It was his fault that wasn’t aging, and may never have a normal lifespan. He was all set to ask her how it was possible, but the two words they never could outrun echoed in the back of his mind: _Bad Wolf_.

“We never found out if I could regenerate. Of course, no one really wanted to put that one to the test. Accidentally came close a few times though.”

The Doctor’s emotions were at war. On one very selfish hand, this would mean he would be able to have more time with Rose. His mind went wild with the things they would now be able to see and do together. But on the other hand…

“Doctor, look at me.” With a tentative touch, Rose tilted his head to look at her. “I know exactly what you’re doing, so stop it. None of this is your fault. All those years ago when I opened the heart of the TARDIS, I made a choice. I meant what I said when I was going to stay with you forever.”

Her voice was quiet, but passionate resolve and determination were loud and clear.

“I love you.”

Without a second thought, the Doctor crashed his lips to hers. Rose instantly responded, her hands moving to his hair and tugging lightly.

Years ago, another lifetime ago really, he had told her that he could feel the turn of the earth beneath their feet. Now he felt Rose and how much she changed, was still changing, but his fears were quickly soothed as her mind brushed against his. The Doctor gasped at the surprise intrusion, but soon welcomed the warmth and love of Rose’s telepathic caress.

It had been so long since he had made a mental connection like this, so long since he had felt the gentle tendrils of another’s mind weaving around his, tears sprung to his eyes again. The intensity of it all was almost too much. When he felt Rose start to withdraw from him, he reached out and latched on to her mind, entwining every ounce of love he had with her beautiful golden threads. Even after all this time, after everything she had seen and done, she was still the same Rose he had met in the basement of that department store. He had missed his first opportunity to tell her how much she meant to him, and he probably missed many other opportunities after that, if he was being honest, but he wasn’t about t let that happen again.

“Rose,” the Doctor said hoarsely as he and Rose caught their breath. “From the moment I held your hand I started to change. I started to heal. But with that feeling, came fear. I knew that one day I would lose the one thing that made me better. And then I changed my face, and I didn’t know if you would want to travel with me anymore, but you did. You promised me your forever, but our forever was cut short. And yet against all odds, you once again found your way back. If those scientists at Torchwood are correct, we have more time together than I ever could have fathomed. Rose Tyler, I love you.”

This time when they kissed it was tender and unhurried. He felt her smile against his lips and all he wanted was to savour this moment. He encouraged her to lift up and straddle his hips. Letting the sensation of it all just wash over him, the Doctor let Rose take control. He couldn’t hold back the groan that escaped him when she sucked his bottom lip and gave it a playful tug between her teeth.

The Doctor protested when Rose pried her mouth from his. He tried to chase it, but she began a searing trail down his jaw and neck. Her fingers popped open the top button of his shirt to give her better access.

“How did I get into my jimjams?” He asked suddenly.

Rose giggled into his neck. “How do you think? Poor Donna wasn’t having any part of it. Said she’s already come across your starkers arse once, and it nearly blinded her.”

“Oi! Poor Donna? There is absolutely nothing wrong with my arse, thank you very much! And that wasn’t my fault! How was I supposed to know that blue pinstripes were only to be worn by the Royal Family of Karrahshankkovv?”

“Oh, I’m well aware there is nothing wrong with your arse,” Rose purred before going back opening his shirt and kissing her way down his chest. The Doctor hummed in pleasure. “I’ve seen it twice now, and I can’t say I ever really pegged you as the type to go without pants. I thought maybe that was just a thing the last you did, but now I’m beginning to think otherwise.”

“I…you…what?” He felt his face heat up.

“So that’s twice from changing you into jimjams,” she paused to think. “When we were in Rome, you definitely didn’t account for how breezy it was going to be, your trousers are very clingy when they get wet, and then there’s the never ending list in my imagination…”Rose added softly, pink tingeing her own cheeks.

“Rose Tyler,” he said with a smirk, his earlier embarrassment forgotten. “Have you pictured my naked bum?” Much to his amusement, the light pink flush of her cheeks darkened and coated her neck as well. “I’m going to take that as a yes.” He took the opportunity of her embarrassment to roll her under him and started to kiss his way down her neck. He was curious to find out how far her blush went.

“What, and you haven’t pictured my bum naked before?” She panted. “I saw you looking that time we were in Scotland. And that time we went swimming in Barcelona. And-“

“Oh Rose,” he growled against her exposed skin as he unzipped her hoodie. “I’ve pictured far more than just your naked arse.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh yes. I’ve pictured your naked breasts,” he said opening up her sweater to reveal her midnight blue bra. He traced his finger along the bits of decorative lace and felt her heart flutter franticly beneath her skin. “I’ve wondered about the differences of how they would look bathed in the green lighting of the console room compared to the light of a the stars and full moon on Lorgarithica, I’ve pictured how they would look wet out of the shower, I’ve imagined what they would look like in my mouth…” he pulled aside one of the cups and gently sucked her pebbled nipple into his mouth. Rose moaned and bucked her hips when he lightly grazed the bud with his teeth before moving on to the neglected breast.

“I’ve always wondered about how you would look with my mouth buried between your thighs. How you would taste…” The Doctor continued to lick, suck, and nip his way down her torso until he reached the waistband of her shorts. He looked up to see Rose bracing herself back on her arms, her chest heaving as she watched him through hooded eyes. He moved to untie her shorts, but hesitated. He needed to know if this was also what she wanted. Too long they had danced around each other, denying the intent of their flirting, but he knew there was always something more between them. Despite hoping that maybe Rose felt the same, despite the pain he inevitably caused both of them, he refused to give in. But now, she was back, in his arms, in his bed, and he wanted nothing more than to let go.

“Rose?” he hedged pressing a kiss to her soft inner thigh and delighting in the way she shivered. “Is this… is this all right, love?”

Rose’s eyes widened briefly before she pulled him back up into a heated snog.

“More than,” she breathed against his lips.

Rose’s hands slipped beneath his pants to grip his bum, squeezing and pulling him against her. Evidence of his arousal firmly poked her center making them both gasp, but there were far too many layers between them still. Rose must have read his mind.

“These need to go. Now,” she snapped the waistband for effect.

In a flash, both of them had discarded what was left of their clothes in a various piles throughout the room.

The Doctor finally gazed down upon a sight he had only fantasized about. The creamy expanse of Rose’s skin seemed to almost glow beneath his touch. She was a goddess and he her humble servant.

He ran his thumb along her kiss-swollen lips. Rose grinned wickedly before sucking the digit into her mouth. The Doctor forced his eyes open to watch her plump lips wrapped around his thumb while her tongue erotically tasted and teased him. His respiratory bypass finally kicked in at the thought of her doing this to another part of his anatomy.

The fingers of his free hand found her slick folds. He spread her arousal with a teasing touch, and Rose groaned his name in response. He plunged first one finger then a second insider her, stretching and stroking her inner walls until she writhed beneath him.

“Doctor, please,” she gasped and tried to grind against his hand. “Need you.”

The Doctor removed his fingers and sucked them into his mouth to clean them. The taste exploded on his tongue, and one day (hopefully very soon) he would further indulge, but right now, he wanted nothing more than to bury himself within Rose.

Together, they guided his cock into her entrance. They groaned in tandem at the sensation of finally being joined in the most intimate ways.

When the Doctor leaned forward to capture Rose’s lips, his mind sought out hers again. He was completely surrounded by Rose: her smell, her taste, the sensation of their mental and physical connections-it was pure ecstasy, and it took every ounce of strength he had to not pop off like an adolescent.

Once he was completely sheathed inside of her, the Doctor held still for a moment to just simply bask in Rose’s glow. When he was ready, he pulled out and pushed back in at a painfully slow pace.

“I just need a minute,” the Doctor whispered when Rose tried to encourage him to speed up. He needed to feel everything to know that she really was here. She had been taken from him so suddenly in the past, what if it was to happen again?

He briefly caught a glimpse of a timeline before it frayed off into nothingness.

_An orange space suit._

_Water._

_Timelines forcibly rewritten by his hand._

_Lives gained and lives taken._

_No one to stop him._

_A winner._

_“The laws of time are mine and they will obey me!”_

“Doctor,” Rose gently cupped his cheek. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Oh Rose,” the Doctor nearly whimpered and covered her hand with his own. Her touch anchored him. It brought him back from all that what ifs and what could have beens.

He tenderly pressed his lips to hers and began to move his hips. After a moment, he picked up his speed until Rose was panting. A slow burning tingle built at the base of his spine and spread out through his body. The Doctor knew he wasn’t going to be able to last much longer, so he reached down to where they were joined and rubbed Rose’s little bundle of nerves. She cried out in pleasure and tightened her legs around his waist.

“Close,” Rose gasped. “I’m so close. Doctor, please…”

“That’s it, love, let go. I’ve got you.” The Doctor increased the pressure on her clit as he chased his own release. Her inner walls trembled around him when she fell over the edge. After a few more erratic thrusts, he followed with a shout.

Completely boneless, the Doctor collapsed on top of Rose. His face nestled into the soft, damp skin of her neck. Rose soothingly stroked his back and murmured words of love and affection in his ear. The entire world around him spun and pulsed as he came down from his high. He had seen some of the most beautiful things in the universe, but none of it would ever compare to making love to Rose Tyler.

Pressing a sloppy kiss to her collarbone, the Doctor reluctantly rolled off of Rose. It finally struck him how real all of this was, how real Rose was. She was back! He had kissed her, had professed his love to her, had made love to her!

“Mmm, you sure did,” Rose snuggled up against him with a contented sigh. Apparently he’d lost what little filter he had before out in the snow.

Oh, to hell with it.

“And I’m about to do it again,” he growled pulling her on top of him.

“Already? Don’t blokes need a… bit of a breather after?”

“I’m a Time Lord Rose, do you think something as _human_ as a refractory period affects me? Especially in your presence?” he said in mock offence. As if on cue, he felt his cock twitch against her. He smirked at her wide eye expression.

They were both properly sated after several bouts of proving he truly did lack a refractory period.

“How long are you going to stay with me?” the Doctor asked sleepily, echoing a question from so long ago.

“After a shag like that? I’m never leaving this bed.”

“Cheeky.”

Reaching down, the Doctor aimed to tickle her without mercy, but Rose beat him to the punch and snatched his hand. He looked up and saw that all trace of humour had left her face, but in its place was an emotion that he had only ever seen a quick glimpse of, and even than, he thought he’d imagined it, chalked it up to wishful thinking. It was one that he couldn’t put a single word to, yet he understood it completely. It was comfort. It was home. It was relief. It was fear. It was warmth. It was affection. It was happiness. It was _Love._ It was-

“Forever,” Rose whispered.


End file.
